Supper wasn't as awkward as I thought it would be. Harry's not a bad cook, not that many people can mess up spaghetti, and he knows a ton of awesome stories about wizards and faeries and stuff. I have no idea how much was true and how much was him pulling my leg, I have a lot of trouble believing that Santa is real and lives on Winter's side of the NeverNever (whatever that is), but does it matter? After we washed the dishes Harry found some blankets and a pillow for me, I'm afraid to ask why he has a pink pillowcase with a daisy on it, and tossed them on the couch. He also lite a few more candles for me, which was pretty awesome since all he had to do was speak to them. Offered me use of his shower too but since he apparently doesn't have hot water I think I'll pass, if he's going to trap me here he really can't complain about me being dirty from practice.
Seems he's right in the middle of some important research project and needs to work on it tonight, told me to make myself at home and if I got tired to just go ahead and go to bed because he probably wouldn't be back up till late. When I reminded him that I might be leaving he just smiled and went downstairs.
This is not my idea of a sleepover. On the up side things aren't as awkward as they could have been. On the down side I'm bored out of my mind.
No computer. No TV. No radio. He has this old looking record player but I have no idea how to use it, it looks like a museum piece. I spent the first hour wondering around staring at his knick-knacks. They range from funny to weird to scary and I'm pretty sure I shouldn't mess around with them. Then I spent a hour watching the fire and petting Mister before he got tired of me and ambled off. Now I'm ready to climb the walls. My homework is in the car, of course, and Mouse does not look inclined to play fetch.
Wandering over to the bookcase I skim across the titles till I find a stash of cheap scifi paperbacks, the kind with the cheesy aliens on the cover. Not my thing, at all, but I'm desperate. Selecting the least ridiculous looking one, not that that's saying much, I toss it in the chair closest to the fire and pick up a candle, heading toward where Harry pointed the bathroom to be earlier.
Stepping through the door I realize I'm in Harry's room and step back out, I really don't want him to come upstairs and think I'm snooping. But after looking back in the kitchen I realize this is the only door he could have been pointing at so I venture back in, feeling nervous. The light of the candle isn't very strong but I finally walk far enough in to see a door to my left. After I get done I tell myself I have to go straight back to the living room but really, did he expect me to just walk through and not look around at all?
After sticking my head out to make sure the coast is still clear, which draws Mouse's attention, I walk back and check out his room. Not very large, mostly just a bed and a dresser, and another set of bookshelves. This guy has a thing about books. There's a closet on one wall and a quick glance finally turns up something interesting. He's got a big gray cloak, and a set of black robes. Looks like something off a Harry Potter set. I grin and try to imagine him wearing either one when I here a snort behind me.
Whirling, heart pounding at being caught, I gasp, "I'm sorry, really! I was just-"
My words die in my throat as I see not a pissed-off wizard behind me, but Mouse. He's sitting in the doorway staring at me, frowning. I didn't even know dogs could frown.
"Ok, ok, I'm leaving right now. I was just curious." I take a step toward him and he lowers his head and growls, pulling his ears back.
Uh-oh. "Hey boy, it's ok. I didn't touch anything." He doesn't quit growling but he does move into a crouch. My heart speeds up and my mouth goes dry. Mouse is huge and in the dark he looks like something I would have imagined living under my bed when I was little. One of those monsters I made my dad check for in the middle of the night. Actually, I would really love for my dad to deal with this one right here but since he's not around I try again, "Mouse, you know me. Even if you rat me out to Harry there's no need to be like this." His ears flick, then he lowers his head and the growl deepens. I see the muscles in his leg twitch and I step back into the closet, panicking. "I'll tell him myself, please-"
I scream as he lunges at me, hitting my legs and almost knocking my off my feet. I catch myself on the closet door frame and try to move away from him but he's pushing against my legs where I can't take a step. I feel the urge to slap at him, to fight, but I hold back when I realize that I'm still on one piece, no holes. In fact, he has wiggled past me into the closet and is shoving against the back of my legs, pushing me toward the door Happy to oblige the crazy beast I bolt but my foot catches on the rug and a hit the wood floor, hard, knocking the wind out of me. Between my fear and the floor I'm gasping for air, the side of my face pressed against Harry's rug, I set the candle I'm still gripping in my right hand down by my face and try to breath. Mouse is standing somewhat over me, still growling, and I have no idea what might set him off. Or if he'll actually come after me next.
That's when I notice movement under the edge of Harry's bed. Squinting, I move the candle a little and pray it's not a roach. Spiders I can handle, snakes and toads are part of having brothers, but roaches are my personal nemesis and I really can't handle any more hysterics tonight.
It's a pompom. Maybe an inch across at the widest point it's a sickish green-gray and it's fuzz is plastered into spikes and and tangled dreads, maybe a half inch long, sticking out all over it. I don't know why I thought it moved-
Crap! It moved again, and now it's looking at me. Two tiny black bead eyes and a mouth as wide as it's body filled with rows of tiny needle shaped teeth.
It's looking at me? I scream and it vanishes back under the bed. Shoving myself onto my hands and knees I feel the skin on my palms burn as a scrape it off but that doesn't really matter at the point, I have got to get out of this room and fast. As I push onto my feet I see more of them, five or six, skitter out from under the bed and toward the closet. Mouse snaps at them as they go past but they're small and fast I don't think he grabs one. Whirling to bolt for the door something looks off about Harry's bed and I pause just long enough to glance back. I would faint, except then I'd be eaten alive. There are at least a hundred of the little things crawling over his bedspread and along his night stand, and they look like they want to crawl on me next.
Dashing toward the door, my candle forgotten behind me, I yell, "Harry! Harry Dresden!" Running through the living room and into the kitchen I hit the trapdoor with both feet, stomping on it. "Harry, get up here! Monsters!" I yank at the door with no success, either he's locked it from underneath, or there's a trick to it I don't know, but the door doesn't budge. I swear I can feel the creatures on my and I swipe at my back and hair, sure I'm about to be bitten. I can't find one but that doesn't actually calm me any.
I run to the cabinet by the sink and pull open the top drawer. Grabbing the largest knife of the bunch I head back toward the trapdoor. Just as I get to it it swings open and Harry pops out, his back to me.
"Alicia? Alicia, what's wrong?" he yells. Thankfully he turns as he does so because I'm moving too fast to stop and if he hadn't grabbed my hand I'd likely have stabbed him in the head. And if he hadn't wrapped his arm around my waist I'd likely have gone headfirst into the basement.
"Are you ok?" Harry's is staring at me from only inches away, holding my wrist in a painful grip. Not that I blame him, I almost scalped him just now. He settles me on the stairs above him and loosens his grip on my waist. "What's wrong?"
"Um, there's things and I didn't mean to snoop and then Mouse came and I thought, anyway, he was growling and I panicked, so-"
"Did Mouse hurt you?" he asks, clearly doubtful.
"No! He was trying to warn me but I thought he was attacking me so I ran but I fell and then I saw them-" I shudder, skin crawling. I swear I can feel little things moving on my skin and I use my free hand to check the back of my head again.
Harry immediately catches my chin in his hand and turns my head, running his hand up the side of my face and across the top and back of my head.
"I don't feel a knot. Did you-"
"No, I'm ok." I pull away, as far as I can and take a deep breath. "There are things, monster things, in your bedroom and they are probably headed this way. Mouse tried to warn me." Another breath, "I'm not kidding, there's like a hundred of them in there!"
"In my bedroom?"
"Yes!" Frustrated by the slowness of the conversation when our lives could be on the line I step back and up, pulling away further. "Come on, hurry. There's, like, an army of them. An army of tiny, evil pompoms."
Harry's grip on my hand holding the knife tightens and flick my eyes down, then back at him.
"Careful now," he says. Letting go of my hand he lets me pull back and step up onto the kitchen floor. Turning to watch the door for any sign that they have followed me I feel him step up beside me. Mouse is also on alert, staring at the door intently.
"Evil pompoms?"
"Don't," I feel tears building up in my eyes, "I'm not joking."
"Ok, it's ok." Harry puts his hand on my shoulder and rubs it in gentle circles. "Mouse, what's up? Trouble?"
Mouse flicks his ear closest to Harry but never takes his eyes off the door, then he growls and lowers his head, raising his hackles. My heart is racing as I try to figure out how to convince Harry of how serious this is, when I see he's gone still and hard. This is the Harry I've always been afraid of but this time he's stepping between me and the monsters so he can be as scary as he wants.
"Stay here." Harry heads for the door.
"No way!" He turns his head but before he can say anything I continue, "What if they are hiding in here too? Or followed me? I want to stay as close to you as I can get." I swallow hard and stare at him, "Please don't leave me in here alone."
He looks at me for a moment, then says, "Fine. But stay behind me, do as I say, and do not stab me in the back with that knife."
I have to rush to keep up with him and remembering what almost happened I turn the knife so it is pointing down and the edge is toward me, instead of holding it out in front of me like a sword. I can just see explaining to the 911 operator that I need an ambulance because I ran a knife through my sister's teachers spleen, in the middle of the night, when we were under attack from some craft supplies.
Harry holds his right hand up and his staff flies across the room and hits his palm with a thwack. I jump and yelp, I didn't know he could do that. At the same time he shakes a bracelet on his left hand and then holds that arm out in front of him, muttering under his breath. Mister yowls and jumps to the top of the bookshelf, crouching and swishing his tail. Creeping behind Harry now that he's slowed down I watch my feet, suddenly wishing I had time to put my shoes back on. I really don't want to step on one of these things.
As Harry steps into his room he mutters and all the candles sitting around flare up, brightening the place and revealing movement along the edges of the room and furniture, and his bed is still covered in the monsters. Harry stiffens and his hand tightens on the staff he is carrying, then he leans forward-
"Shit."
There's no fear is his voice and as I watch he relaxes, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his left hand. Mouse is still growling but it's more of a grumble, and he looks up as his owner with question in his eyes.
"Harry?"
"It's ok, I know what these are. And they aren't dangerous. Inconvenient, annoying, and expensive..." His voice trails off and he crosses his arms, staring into space. A quick turn and he brushes past me, headed back toward the kitchen.
I rush after him, "Harry, what are they?"
"Mold demons."